In a near repeat of problems that plagued last year's iPhone 3G launch, Apple's iPhone activation servers are showing signs of buckling under the pressure of hundreds of thousands of customers who are attempting to activate their new handsets and warning of delays that could span two days.

"Your activation requires additional time to complete. Due to the current activation volumes, it may take up to 48 hours to resolve your issue," reads a message spit out by iTunes when attempting to activate a new iPhone 3G S after the hours of noon Eastern time on Friday. "We will send a confirmation to [your email address] once your activation is complete."

Apple, in the same message, apologizes for the inconvenience and says that customers can proceed to setup their new handsets and explore features that do not require access to AT&T's network. After disconnecting from iTunes, a message appears on the iPhone 3G S's screen that says: "Waiting for activation. This may take some times."

While many customers acquiring their new iPhones in Europe or during the early morning hours in the US reported activating their devices quickly and without issue, AppleInsider can corroborate that activations delays are spreading rapidly. Both our new iPhone 3G S's remain in the state seen in the below image.

The activation issues draw parallels to the high-tech meltdown that spoiled last year's iPhone 3G launch from the onset, leaving thousands of customers with iPhones that couldn't function or make calls, as the iTunes servers required to fully activate them were knocked offline for extended periods of time.

Friday's complications underscore the complexity Apple faces in orchestrating a multi-national product launch of such scale, but also signals that despite having two years of past experience under its belt, the Cupertino-based company is still unable to accurately prepare its systems for the beating they'll take on day one.

This is the reason that they should have let the preorders deliver early rather than holding them at carrier distribution centers. That would have staggered the demand on the servers and would have helped to mitigate the problems they are facing yet again. I'll get home and have to wait to activate because they plan poorly.

Maybe Apple and AT&T were meant for each other.....MMS and Tethering.....

In a near repeat of problems that plagued last year's iPhone 3G launch, Apple's iPhone activation servers are showing signs of buckling under the pressure of hundreds of thousands of customers who are attempting to activate their new handsets and warning of delays that could span two days.

"Your activation requires additional time to complete. Due to the current activation volumes, it may take up to 48 hours to resolve your issue," reads a message spit out by iTunes when attempting to activate a new iPhone 3G S after noon eastern time on Friday. "We will send a confirmation to [your email address] once your activation is complete."

Apple, in the same message, apologizes for the inconvenience and says that customers can proceed to setup their new handsets and explore features that do not require access to AT&T's network. After disconnecting from iTunes, a message appears on the iPhone 3G S's screen that says: "Waiting for activation. This may take some times."

While many customers acquiring their new iPhones in Europe or during the early morning hours in the US reported activating their devices quickly and without issue, AppleInsider can corroborate that activations delays are spreading rapidly. Both our new iPhone 3G S's remain in the state seen in the below image.

The activation issues draw parallels to the high-tech meltdown that spoiled last year's iPhone 3G launch from the onset, leaving thousands of customers with iPhones that couldn't function or make calls, as the iTunes servers required to fully activate them were knocked offline for extended periods of time.

Friday's complications underscore the complexity Apple faces in orchestrating a multi-national product launch of such scale, but also signals that despite having two years of past experience under its belt, the Cupertino-based company is still unable to accurately prepare its systems for beating they'll take on day one.

Perhaps if Apple had let the iPhones that were scheduled to arrive via UPS yesterday actually arrive yesterday, and those people activated a day earlier, that maybe this would not be such an issue today?

I don't think anyone could have really predicted just how huge the demand was going to be for the 3G S.

All we've heard for the last month was about how Palm will steal a good chunk of former iPhone users or potential iPhone users - how everyone will be flocking to the Pre.

Didn't happen. In fact, exactly the opposite happened. It's as if the Pre is some distant memory. Anyway, Palm's dog and pony show will come to an end soon enough. We're already seeing disappointing sales figurs for the Pre, it's off to a slow start, and Palm does seem to *still* be buyout-bait.

I don't think anyone could have really predicted just how huge the demand was going to be for the 3G S.

All we've heard for the last month was about how Palm will steal a good chunk of former iPhone users or potential iPhone users - how everyone will be flocking to the Pre.

Didn't happen. In fact, exactly the opposite happened. It's as if the Pre is some distant memory. Anyway, Palm's dog and pony show will come to an end soon enough. We're already seeing disappointing sales figurs for the Pre, it's off to a slow start, and Palm does seem to *still* be buyout-bait.

So, if I am an at&t customer who is in possession of his first iPhone, what happens to me if I try to activate and get told to wait? Does my old phone still work? Do I have no phone until it goes through?
Should I wait until the volume goes down to initiate activation?

Perhaps if Apple had let the iPhones that were scheduled to arrive via UPS yesterday actually arrive yesterday, and those people activated a day earlier, that maybe this would not be such an issue today?

So, if I am an at&t customer who is in possession of his first iPhone, what happens to me if I try to activate and get told to wait? Does my old phone still work? Do I have no phone until it goes through?
Should I wait until the volume goes down to initiate activation?

Your current iPhone continues to function until your new ones is activated. You just have to carry both around in the interim incase the switch happens when your out, because your current phone will lose service as soon as your new one picks up service.

I got the same 'Waiting for activation' message and no signal on the iPhone when I tried thru' iTunes. Then I called ATT, the ATT rep asked for SIM card number (need to take SIM out - note that there is a pin in the package for this purpose) and IMEI number (on the iPhone package cover). In about two minutes it was activated.

all the hype about the preordering and shipping for delivery today, and after waiting for my delivery, it's making me wait "up to 48 hours" to activate and actually USE the phone i just paid $300 for? nice, at&t. if i were you, i would just hang my head in shame. lets' recap:

1. i wont actually count your attempt to overprice the phone, as you relented.
2. no tethering
3. no mms.
4. no activation - effectively wasting my time preordering. i should have just gone to the store.

bet this is your last "exclusive" iphone release. you have done nothing to earn our hearts, mind, or dollars. i cant wait for verizon to carry the iphone.

Lucky You!!! \ Thanks Apple! I guess I have to carry both around when mine finally starts to work? So much for a Happy Father's Day weekend!

My activation doesn't work also. But I just pop the old sim card from my iPhone 2G into the 3GS and it activated it. I guess this only works if you already have an activated iPhone (sim card) with you. I'm now using the 3GS. Very excited.

Btw, this is my first post. Registered just to share my experience so we have less frustrated iPhone users.

Apple is probably working on this as fast as possible. To handle this load about once a year probably doesn't justify building extra infrastructure. Hopefully these activations will happen via E-mail soon.

I don't think anyone could have really predicted just how huge the demand was going to be for the 3G S.

All we've heard for the last month was about how Palm will steal a good chunk of former iPhone users or potential iPhone users - how everyone will be flocking to the Pre.

Didn't happen. In fact, exactly the opposite happened. It's as if the Pre is some distant memory. Anyway, Palm's dog and pony show will come to an end soon enough. We're already seeing disappointing sales figurs for the Pre, it's off to a slow start, and Palm does seem to *still* be buyout-bait.

Apple is probably working on this as fast as possible. To handle this load about once a year probably doesn't justify building extra infrastructure. Hopefully these activations will happen via E-mail soon.

all the hype about the preordering and shipping for delivery today, and after waiting for my delivery, it's making me wait "up to 48 hours" to activate and actually USE the phone i just paid $300 for? nice, at&t. if i were you, i would just hang my head in shame. lets' recap:

1. i wont actually count your attempt to overprice the phone, as you relented.
2. no tethering
3. no mms.
4. no activation - effectively wasting my time preordering. i should have just gone to the store.

bet this is your last "exclusive" iphone release. you have done nothing to earn our hearts, mind, or dollars. i cant wait for verizon to carry the iphone.

Judging from your verbiage I'm guessing you didn't get one so they are not making *you* do anything...

I got the same 'Waiting for activation' message and no signal on the iPhone when I tried thru' iTunes. Then I called ATT, the ATT rep asked for SIM card number (need to take SIM out - note that there is a pin in the package for this purpose) and IMEI number (on the iPhone package cover). In about two minutes it was activated.

Why didn't you just use a sim from a AT&T Pre Paid Go Phone, it works.

I don't think anyone could have really predicted just how huge the demand was going to be for the 3G S.

With all due respect, there are people at Apple and AT&T whose only job is to anticipate market demands. They literally have nothing else to distract them from gathering every bit of info they need to accurately predict things like this. Just sayin'.

I don't think anyone could have really predicted just how huge the demand was going to be for the 3G S.

on the contrary, both companies knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. they took pre-orders for ten days, so that was a known quantity.

and they architected the servers, so they knew capacity.

both things were and are quantifiable.

it seems that the activation issue is an at&t issue. given their level of customer service it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. one might have thought they could take some of last year's billions [with a "b"] in net profit and invest a little but hey, that would mean things might go right. and it's only the customer getting screwed, right?

my phone sat in the "take some time" state for 50 minutes before i picked up the phone and called at&t. all that needed to be done was to pop the sim and re-insert it. i feel for those of you not getting activated; i know i would be verily pissed. in a major way.

My activation doesn't work also. But I just pop the old sim card from my iPhone 2G into the 3GS and it activated it. I guess this only works if you already have an activated iPhone (sim card) with you. I'm now using the 3GS. Very excited.

So exactly when during the process can you take the SIM card from your old 3G and put it in the new 3Gs? Can you do that right out of the box? Do you need to connect to iTunes first?

I got in line at 7AM and waited for just over an hour and a half at the Apple store at La Encantada in Tucson AZ and couldn't get in to get my two reserved iPhone 3GSes. There were 50-60 people ahead of me and in that 90 minutes I'd say maybe 10 people got their phones. I figured it would take at least 3-4 hours at that rate for me to get my phones. I will try back later (and maybe try my local Walmart, ATT etc.).

I was at the back of a line of maybe 100 people on day one in 2007 in San Diego and got my 1st gen iPhones within 45 minutes, but back then you could activate at home. The policy of activating in the stores is terribly counter-productive IMHO. If only I had known that if you buy it online, it is activated by ATT before it ships -- according to an Apple rep at the store.

Consider ordering online if you haven't already purchased. At least today, waiting in line may not be worth your time.

I activated and it said it could take time. Two minutes later my buddy called me. I thought it was an AT&T confirmation call at first. So it was pretty much instantanious for me. This was about fifteen minutes ago.

I'm really shocked this happened again. I thought releasing the 3.0 Update two days early and taking pre-orders would have helped prevent a repeat of last year's debacle (maybe those measures did help to some degree). Good work to the people who braved the early-morning lines and beat the rush. Tough luck for those still awaiting activation. Hang in there. I can't imagine any pending activations actually taking the full 48 hours.

So how does this work exactly. If I'm on AT&T now, and go update to an iPhone tonight, does my old phone die while I wait for the iPhone to activate? Will I be phone-less indefinitely?

If you pick it up at an Apple store and do not activate it there, I think so. If it's shipped to you, then no. It won't die until you activate your new phone. I had mine shipped to me and just activated the 3GS and my 2G lost service right after. (tear)

So exactly when during the process can you take the SIM card from your old 3G and put it in the new 3Gs? Can you do that right out of the box? Do you need to connect to iTunes first?

I first connect the new 3GS to iTune. It already has a sim inside. iTune tried to activate it but show me the "wait 48 hours" message. I then swap the sim from my 2G phone and 3GS activated itself. Simple as that. I think the step is

1. Connect the new 3GS to iTune, allow it to attempt to activate.
2. When failed, swap the old sim in. 3GS will now activate itself.